


Belated

by tinyniel



Category: Whitechapel (TV)
Genre: (i think), Ficlet, Fluff, Light Angst, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 16:10:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2627924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyniel/pseuds/tinyniel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since Kent didn't get to give Chandler his birthday present at the restaurant, he has to do it the next day at work. Adorable awkwardness ensues. </p><p>'Pre-slash' because it's there, even it they aren't quite yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Belated

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a longer fic I'm writing about these two. Problem is, my inspiration for that fic has shriveled up and died, and I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to revive it. And since this is one of the bits I was really pleased with, I kinda felt bad about leaving it to rot in the "snippets"-folder.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Chandler braced himself before looking up to meet Kent’s gaze.

«Yes?»

«Sorry, sir, may I-» He gestured vaguely towards the chairs in front of Chandler’s desk.

«Of course, come in.»

Chandler watched as Kent stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He couldn’t help but shoot a quick look at the others but, not surprisingly, none of them seemed to be paying attention to anything other than their screens. Besides, Kent being in his office wasn’t unusual at all. Him closing the door was maybe a little bit out of the ordinary, but then maybe there was a personal matter Kent needed to address, and he didn’t want the others to hear what was being said.

… he was definitely reaching new levels of paranoia.

«Anything new?»

Kent shook his head, sitting down as Chandler nodded towards one of the chairs.

«I just-» Kent slid his hand into his pocket, hesitating for a moment before pulling out a small, black, gift-wrapped box. «I didn’t get a chance to give you this the other night.»

«Kent, you didn’t have to-»

«No, it’s just- It’s not a big thing, I just thought-» Kent almost thrust the box towards him. «Just take it.»

Chandler did, with a puzzled smile that made Kent’s eyes drop to his hands.

The weight of the box felt familiar, somehow, and he hesitated before pulling at the thin silver ribbon. He lifted the lid off and when he spotted the content, something not entirely unpleasant twisted in his belly.

The box held a jar of Tiger Balm, which was thoughtful enough in itself, but it was the small, almost unnoticeable item circling it that caught Chandler’s attention, and he suspected that was what made his mouth fall open too. For a few moments, he could only stare at it, acutely aware that Kent was watching him from the other side of the desk, trying and failing to not look too expectant.

Part of him didn’t want to pick it up. Mostly, he wanted to sweep the ribbon, the box and the content into a drawer and shut it tight. He didn’t need ... didn’t _want_ a replacement. There couldn’t be a replacement. He had meant it when he told Miles, and now that a replacement was staring back at him, he felt it even stronger. But with Kent’s expectant gaze, he had no choice.

Chandler pulled the small rubber band out of the box, turning it over in his hand. It looked exactly like the one Morgan had given him, the same off-white shade, and it was in perfect condition. Probably brand new, Kent must have bought a pack of them just to get one.

«I know it’s silly.»

Kent’s voice made his head snap up, and the look on his face must be something other than astonishment, because his DC flinched a little.

«I just thought- seeing as how the other one broke ...» Kent trailed off, eyes falling from Chandler’s face to the item in his hands.

Chandler was lost for words. The white rubber band was easily the most thoughtful birthday present anyone had ever given him. He hadn’t even been aware that Kent knew his old one had snapped, Chandler had always made sure it was well hidden under the cuff of his shirt, and for all anyone knew it was still there.

He ran his finger along the band, his insides tying themselves up in knots. It was the most considerate thing anyone had done for him in years, a testament to just how well Kent knew him, to the familiarity between them that Chandler was so desperately trying to quell, and it made him feel a little sick. The amount of thought Kent must have put into this gift, despite its simplicity, and yet Chandler knew he couldn’t accept it. Not completely.

«Kent, I-» He meant for it to be the beginnings of a ’thank you’, but his face must have betrayed him again, because suddenly the little smile Kent had been nursing died on the spot.

«Sorry sir, don’t know what I was thinking.» He almost jumped to his feet. «It was inappropriate, I shouldn’t have assumed-»

«Kent, please-»

«You can’t wear it, can you?» There was a sudden edge to Kent’s voice that Chandler hadn’t heard since that one time the DC had accused him of letting his feelings cloud his judgement.

«Look, I-»

«Just answer me.»

Chandler watched Kent’s jaw clench, watched him ball his hand to a fist, and the DI swallowed, letting out a small sigh.

«No.»

Despite his growing anger a moment earlier, that one word seemed to be enough to deflate Kent. He somehow seemed to shrink before Chandler’s eyes, face falling and eyes seeking out his shoes again. Chandler’s did the same, except he picked a small crease in the paper in front of him, studying it as if it was suddenly going to give him a clue as to what he should do next.

The silence stretched on, and Chandler hoped to God the others were still occupied beyond the glass door, because if they decided to give the scene in his office a second look, they would spot that something was off in a heartbeat.

«Kent-»

Kent’s hand shot up to stop him. «You don’t have to explain.»

«But I want to.»

Well, he did and he didn’t. ’ _I have to_ ’, would have been a better choice of words, but Chandler suspected that would just make everything worse.

«It’s a very thoughtful gift, Kent. Thank you.»

Kent just snorted.

«It is,» Chandler insisted, willing the DC to look at him. When Kent didn’t, he was forced to continue. «But you’re right. I can’t wear it. The other one, it was ... special. I can’t replace it because-»

«Because it was from her.»

Kent’s words were so quiet that Chandler would have missed them if he wasn’t watching his DC so closely. But despite their softness, there was no mistaking the tone; Kent sounded hurt. And Chandler wanted to kick himself.

The silence threatened to fill the office again, and Chandler had no idea how to stop it this time. He wanted to tell Kent just how much he did appreciated the present, how much it meant to him that Kent had noticed, reached out. That he wanted to help.

But he knew that whatever he said after this would sound patronising and fake.

«I’d better get back to work, sir.»

Kent didn’t wait for a reply, he just turned to slip out the door, and Chandler couldn’t help but watch him go. He followed Kent’s path through the incident room, not caring if Miles looked up to catch him in the act. Kent stopped to have a quiet word with Riley before he turned left, disappearing down the stairs.


End file.
